CHAPTER 12: A LETTER TO FUTURE DOCTORAL CANDIDATES OF COLOR

Many doctoral students enter academia with a false understanding of academia, academia’s expectations, and how academia will shape their careers. For candidates of color, the midst of institutionalized oppression threatens their performance in academia and ultimately their success. It’s what may stop Black women, like me, from completing at the doctoral program, or being hired in academia, or earning tenure. So, below is a letter I wrote for all Black women in academia to help demystify academia’s expectations.

Obtaining a doctorate and evolving into an influential scholar was something I knew I could accomplish. The acceptance letter into the doctoral program nurtured my confidence. It encouraged me to believe that the doctoral program would provide all the necessary resources to cultivate a successful career in academia. As a young Black woman with a gift for teaching, I believed higher education would complement my ambition of becoming a key contributor to the movement of improving the achievement of historically underperforming students.